Non-slip safety sole attachment for footwear



Feb. 20, 1962 R. A. KOCH 3,021,617 NON-SLIP SAFETY SOLE ATTACHMENT FOR FOOTWEAR Filed April 18, 1960 IN V EN TOR.

, RAYMOND A. KOCH ATTORNEY 3,021,617 NGN-SLW SAFETY SOLE ATTACHMENT FOR FGOTWEAR Raymond A. Koch, 267 Moraga Ave., Piedmont, Calif. Filed Apr. 18,1960, Ser. No. 22,819 4 Claims. ((11. lid-7.6)

This invention relates to improvements .in nonslip attachments for boots and shoes, and provides an attachment which in a single size will fit all sizes of footwear normally worn by adults, and which is quickly and easily applied and removed, being automatically adjustable to the different sizes of footwear.

As is well known, rocks and pebbles in bodies of. Water and streams are very slippery, and many a fisherman has been injured or even drowned because of the loss of footing on these slippery bottoms, and which could, in the majority of cases, been prevented through the medium of an etficient non-skid sole or attachment for fishermans boots and shoes, and this invention is designed to prevent such accidents, and provides an attachment in the form of a flexible sole provided with removable and replaceable caulks, and which sole is applied to theboot or shoe and secured by lacing, thus making the attachment easily and quickly applied or removed.

As will also be readily apparent, this attachment also provides a most efficient non-slip device as also a traction device for ice and snow, slippery sidewalks and streets, and'similar conditions.

The objects and advantages of the invention are as follows:

First, to provide a non-slipattachment for the soles of boots and shoes.

Second, to provide anattachment as outlined which is constructed of flexible material for more efficient nonskid and traction properties,

Third, to provide an attachment as outlined in which a predetermined size can be used with a number of different sizes of boots and shoes. i v v,

Fourth, to provide an attachment as outlined with metal caulk-holding strips imbedded in the plastic material and to provide threaded passages for the caulks, to provide for replacement of caulks at will.

Fifth, to provide attachments as outlined which require very little space so that they can readily be carried in mens pockets or ladies handbags.

Sixth, to provide an attachment as outlined which is formed and secured to the footwear by simple cross-lacing, with the lacing removable at will, for replacement.

Seventh, to provide an attachment as outlined which is relatively simple and economical to manufacture, conveniently carried, and quickly and easily applied to footwear, and in which a blank is adapted for either right or left footwear by simple interchange of caulks from one face of the blank to the other.

In describing the invention reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the invention with the lacing omitted.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional elevation taken on line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the invention as applied to one of the smaller sizes of shoes or boots with which it can be used.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation showing approximately the maximum size of shoe to which it can be applied, as the attachment would appear relative to the footwear.

The invention consists of a main portion including a sole portion 11 and a heel portion 12 and an intervening shank portion 13, the lengths and widths of which portions are made an intermediate between the largest and smallest sizes of boots or shoes with which it is to be 3,021,617 Patented li'eb. 20, 1962 2 worn, whereby the main portion will project all around slightly for the smallest sizes and be overlapped by the larger sizes.

Ears 14 and 15 are provided to engage over the sides of the toe portion 16, similar ears are provided to engage over the instep portion as indicatedat 17 and 18, and an car 19 projects from the heel portion 12 to engage about the back of the heel 20 of the footwear.

These ears are provided with lace attaching means or eyelets as indicated at 21, 22 and 23,v 24, 25 and 26 for the lace 27 which is initially threaded through the .passages 21 and 22, then crossed over the instep as indicated at 28, threaded through the passages 23 and '24,, thence recrossed at the front of the ankle as indicated at 29 and passed about the ankle and threaded through the respective passages 25 and 26, turned back as indicated at 30 and 31, brought about the" ankle and tied at the front as indicated at 32, this lacing providing the most eflicient securing means, though not so limited since other types of securing means can be used.

Reinforcements are provided for the caulks, and consist of metalstrips, two transversely for: the heel portion as indicated at 33 and 34, two transverselyjust ahead of the instep as indicated at 35 and 36, and two taperingtoward the toe, under the ball of thefoot as indicated-at 37 and 38, the principal purpose of which is to: provide a threaded element or multiple nut'for the-caulks 39 which have a shoulder 40 to seat on either faceof. the plastic base 41 for right and left footwear, and have a threaded shank 42 to thread into the metal reinforcement from 43 formed in its terminal end.

These strip reinforcements also function to keep the. device from creeping overone side or the other of the sole of the footwear and therefore have a double function, while still maintaining flexibility.

The body of the attachment may be-formed of relatively live rubber, or a suitable synthetic plastic material which is anchored through-passages 44 in the metalstripsz:

Thus an anti-skid sole attachment is provided which can either direction, and which'shank has a screw driverslot easily be carried in pocket or handbag, either in the flat form or folded, and which requires little space, and can quickly and easily be applied to boots or shoes of a number of different sizes in view of the flexibility and the wrap-around feature of the ears which are formed about the toe, instep, and heel of the footwear when the two ends of the lace are drawn taut, and in which worn or lost caulks can be replaced at will through the medium of a screw driver or similar object.

This easily applied attachment is of special importance to persons who may unexpectedly encounter sleet, as they can so easily be carried in pocket or handbag throughout the winter, and with fishermen when they decide to wade a stream instead of fishing from the bank.

I claim:

1. An non-skid attachment for footwear comprising a normally flat blank of flexible material having opposed identical faces for reversal for application to right and left footwear at will, and including a main portion substantially conforming to the underside of the footwear,

said blank including a toe portion, a shank portion, and a heel portion, and including integral therewith,

a pair of opposed ears continuing laterally and diagonally from said toe portion and adapted to be bent upwardly about the two side portions of the toe of the footwear,

a pair of opposed ears continuing laterally from the shank portion and adapted to be bent upwardly at the sides of the instep of the footwear, and

an ear continuing rearwardly from said heel portion and adapted to be bent upwardly at the back of the heel of the footwear,

a pair of eyelets formed in said ear continuing rearwardly, and

f a single eyelet formed in each of the others of said ears,

and

1 lacing means threadable through all of said eyelets for drawing all of said ears upwardly about the un derside of the footwear and for securing the blank thereto.

2. A structure as defined in claim 1,

metal plates spacedly imbedded centrally ofthe thick- Caulks each having a threaded shank to threadedly fit in said threaded passages, and each having a shoulder to fit in the counterbore formed in either face of the blank to seat on the metal plates,

' with the shanks provided with screwdriver slots for removably securing the caulks,

whereby the blank is assembleable at will for right or left footwear through selective application of the caulks in the respective faces of the blank.

3. In a non-skid attachment for footwear including a reversable blank having a main portion substantially conforming to the underside of footwear, and means for attaching the blank in either direct or reverse position on the footwear,

means for selectively converting the attachment for right or left footwear at will, comprising a plurality of metal strips spacedly fixed centrally of the thickness of the blank,

each of said strips having a plurality of spaced threaded passages formed therethrough,

a counterbore formed in each face of the blank in axial registry with each threaded passage,

a caulk for each of said threaded passages and each having a threaded shank for securing in a threaded passage from either face of the blank,

each caulk having a shoulder fitting within the counterbore for seating on the bottom of the counterbore.

whereby right and left hand non-skid attachments are provided through selective application of the caulks in the respective faces of the blank.

4. In a non-skid attachment for footwear including a blank formed of flexible material and including a main portion invertable and selectively conforming to the underside of right and left footwear, and includmg means associated with the blank for securing the blank to the footwear,

, means for selectively forming a non-skid attachment for right or left footwear from one of said reversable blanks at will, comprising spaced metal plates imbedded centrally of the thickness of said blank and each having spaced threaded passages formed therethrough,

opposed counterbores formed in the respective faces of the blank in axial registry with said threaded passages,

caulks having each a shoulder to fit in said counterbores and having threaded shanks securable in said threaded passages and applied in either face,

to provide for selective forming of right and left footwear attachments from identical blanks, at will.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 966,821 Gaw Aug. 9, 1910 1,187,778 Paskett June 20, 1916 1,318,608 Searcy Oct. 14, 1919 2,108,849 Engel' Feb. 22, 1938 2,169,337 Davis Aug. 15, 1939 2,193,943 Shea Mar. 19, 1940 2,203,929 Shapiro June 11, 1940 2,315,874 Sabel et a1. Apr. 6, 1943 2,513,005 Crawford June 27, 1950 2,526,940 Fello Oct. 24, 1950 2,726,461 Smith Dec. 13, 1955 

